He was drunk, someone killed his dog, and someone told him the group did it. All pluses. A hand gesture and the group's face man telling him to step off isn't enough to stop him. I say you made the right call.

I generally go with characters being able to drink up to their con bonus with negative effects, unless the player specifically states the PC does not drink. After the bonus is exceeded I then add a penalty, -1 per drink, on any rolled action up to the character's con score before they pass out. Characters without a con bonus start drinking with penalties.

@Adamantine Dragon- You are one of the more level headed posters I have ever seen on the interwebs, maybe it is because I agree with most of what you say, I don't know. Cheers to you mate! I am serious too.

Period point blank, it is your world and if you don't want catfolk, they don't exist. All this other garbage is moot. You just need to be upfront. That can be hard sometimes, I understand that, but when you do it works sooo much better. One of my buddies wanted to be a half-ogre something or other when we started RotRL, I waffled for a second,found my bearings, and said how about we stick to core races. He stuck to the core races. Now taking something back after you granted it, even in error on your part, is much more difficult. If the catchick is in combat I would kill it, mind you not blatantly, but it is subject to the same hazards on the field of battle as others are. I assume it is weaker as a cohort and not as able, so its survivability is suspect. Or you can tell him she got a letter from her catnip dealer and needed to go and pick up a bag, problem solved.

I would keep your solution on screen if at all possible, it can add to the campain with plot hooks and new bad guys. If the players don't get it start being heavy handed. Heavy handed can be you saying something out of game or hitting the characters over the head with something really overt in game.

They are not ME's, closer to your soldier comparison. Soldier usually have a code of honor for their fallen enemies, this usually doesn't involve removing body parts. I know in the crazy world of fantasy land this game is played in there are things to think about, to be pragmatic isn't a bad thing, but actions have consequences.

My issues is the character bleed the OP talked about:

Mavric28 wrote:

I think I had a cleric cast Animate Dead once on some fallen minions and they rose up as zombies and attacked the party. This was back in 3rd Edition D&D, and the players have never forgotten it. Yet they still take this precaution, even with completely different characters who have never faced that situation.

I hate it as a GM when players do this. There are acceptible amounts of this. Like placing a balanced bottle on your inn room's door handle as an alarm, but systematically dismembering every humanoid you encouter is over the line in my book.

Player alignments? Your players are being overly cautious, allowing character bleed from situations in past games influence actions in this game(this is bad on their part), and the characters actions are excesively creepy, Jeffrey Dahmer creepy. I would have the undead varians start to track them down as TimD suggested. I would also start to give them small penalties for their interactions with people (behind the GM screen at first, then openly) as they start to think more and more about the dismembered bodies they leave behind. Have them start to have bad dreams, then nightmares, then dreams where they enjoy the mutilation. Maybe even give them something from the Book of Vile Darkness, I think there is stuff on psychosis in there, to emphasise they're turn to questionable actions.

Or you could tell them to out of game to stop being so damn paranoid, much less fun than messing with them ingame.

Each could have a solo task mission given individually by some figure in your future game. The tasks could be from competing factions, the same side, different sides, or same person. They then could be instructed go to a meet somewhere to exchange info,group up to pursue a common goal, or eliminate the others, only to be forced into a common goal starting off your game. This might involve a couple one off sessions, so perhaps it is more work then you want. Or you could hand wave the task as part of the character back ground and start at the meet up.

My 2cp.

Edit: Don't know much more about Dark Sun then you do. However, I would suggest looking at the 3.5 Sandstorm book.

I hate pivot smurfing tables. Around here we us it to compare data exported from different sources, but I digress. It could have a valid application if one wanted to compare multiple sources of damamge, I think anyway. My excel kung-fu is lacking.

Don't let him use the tablet for his character, dice rolls on the table, everyone needs to know their spells and abilities, and everyone should be thinking of their actions before it is their turn so they can execute during their turn. Also, if they forget something it is on them, be resonable with it as a GM, but if your player is continually saying they forgot something and want to add it in after the fact it is problematic (it also points to know your stuff).

A big party, the nobility nod, and a letter of mark. Oh, and uptick in church member ship, that was a good one too. Is there a trait you could give to each of them that has some bearing or appropriateness to the recent events?

Chicks are like dudes. Ask them what kind of game they are expecting, think of what kind of game you want to run, meet somewhere in the middle if there are vast differences. The only appreciable difference I have noticed, and my sample size is small for female players mind you, is that women usually like to play a more nurturing role, i.e. clerics and druids. That being said the posts above will tell you they play all sorts of types. I say to that... Women are like men, they play all kinds of stuff.

I never really ask my players what they want, I pick a direction and go, I modify it if they lean heavily one way or the other. My advise would be give them a break down of what you are thinking, where you are starting, race and classes avaible, and ask them to write up a background (say a page or so) so you can add plot hooks. This should cover some basics.

Right on, brother. Actions have consequences and sometimes, funny enough, those consequences might have better side effects then one could ever imagine. Roleplaying, plot hooks, growth as a player, or whatever.

To the OP, let him lay. Direct the part to a place where it is easy to introduce a new member and call it a lesson learned. Perhaps for both sides of the table. You are all good, this might even turn out to make your game better.

I would try to have a more story driven game, allow the character to really work their schtick. I think starting them at thrid is a good idea, you may also want to have them be third but start with 0 xp. This will let players really get to know their characters with some lower level play and form a real partnership. Bumping up to a 25 point buy was wise.

I dislike the WBL and magic shop as does my group so we never use it as it cheapens the loot picked up by adventuring. To that I would say what ever the DM fits you with. Spells would be situational. Are you using just Pathfinder or mash up of 3.x? Is Moon Lust a 3.5 spell? That is a pretty well used one with the group I play with.

To that note, if you have an int caster he could be a PC familar to your parties wizard. You would get some stat bumps (modified as it would be over powered to have familar and pc stats) and have a fun time trying to either help out or make life difficult for your master. Years ago while playing 2nd ed we had someone do this with a psuedo dragon and it was great. Awesome roleplaying and an excellent addition to the party. The DM has to be on board and so does the player as you would be a completely independent familar with pc levels. It was also a complete supprise to the wizard player and pc. The look on the players face was priceless.

Flavor - It isn't all about mechanics.
A common misconception is that these two must be separate.

You can have mechanically sound PCs that also have flavor.

I know, shocking!:)

Absolutely, didn't say you couldn't have both. 5.5 on ave is better then 4.5. Fantastic. If it fits with you dude, great, roll with it.

Once one of my players wanted to make a crit build dwarven dervish type with scimitars. I said great, come up with a great story and you are golden, it will be bad ass. If you do it for the crunch I will make fun of you till the day you die. Needless to say he opted not to make his dancing dwarf.

I don't like the magus class so I don't know much about it and the spy is 3rd party so I just glanced at it. I can tell you I took more levels of fighter on my build, 2:1 or so. I wouldn't add the arcane trickster into the mix, but that is me, the spy and kensai classes will suffer for it.

Think elf/half-elf with a curve blade. You at least maintain the illusion of sneaky/finesse character (at least in my opinion). I made a Thief/Fighter build once upon a time that had an extended crit range and emphised on intimidation thru dazzeling display, with some rediculous feats tacked on. He was a bad ass, a bit of a glass cannon, but if he dictated the fight it was a bloody mess.

Running a group with a monk, cleric, and druid/sor (badger animal comp). No issues what so ever. I ran a NPC bard with them for awhile, he just got in the way. You should be fine if you have players that know what they are doing.

The night before I refresh my mind as to what the players are doing, reread the section we are going through and look through some books. The day of someone brings in the snacks and/or pizza, another brings some pop and beer (lately Newcastle Werewolf). Several glasses of Basil Haden, Bullet, or what ever are poured, and chat about recent events. We have a recap of last game, I then ask the players what they do next.

Do you turn into the hybrid or actual wolf? I can't remember. Either way aren't both medium creatures? A collar will stay on, so I would put a metal collar on with chain. Lock your self to a large tree or to a wall in some room somewhere out of the way or in a dungeon. I don't think I would try and over think this. Cage, collar, locks, or spells... You should be good. Swallowing a rod... not so good, plus I don't think it is possible and if you did you might end up killing your pc whilst werewolfing out. Interal damage and all.

The Postman (Bad movie but I like the basic ideas)
13 Assassins
Samurai Jack (Not a movie but some cool stuff)
Kung Fu Panda
Army of Darkness
Buckaroo Bonzai
The Quick and The Dead
Aliens/Pred (Shoe horning some Sci-Fi)